Combined dispensing container and closure



June 25, 1968 R. J. MUSEL ET Ah COMBINED DISPENSING CONTAINER AND CLOSURE Filed April 27, 1966 INVENTOR Robe/f J Muse/ Elmer 6. Thomas ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,389,840 COMBINED DISPENSING CONTAINER AND CLOSURE Robert J. Musel, 106 E. Iona Ave., Linwood, NJ. 08221, and Elmer G. Thomas, 400 W. 7th St., Mays Landing, NJ. 08330 Filed Apr. 27, 1966, Ser. No. 545,733 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-548) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a closure assembly for a container provided with spaced lug means formed on an assembly which serve the dual purpose of limiting the rotation of the closure member on the upper end of the neck of the container and which further serve to secure the closure member to the neck by means of a locking bead means formed along the outer circumferential surface of the lug means.

This invention relates to dispensing containers and closures therefor and more particularly to a combined container and closure assembly in which the neck of the container and a one-piece closure cap therefor cooperate to form an effective non-sifting dispensing closure assembly, and in which the closure is held in place on the neck of the container by a novel snap-on construction.

It is an object of this invention to provide a closure assembly for a container, in which the upper end or neck portion of the container is so constructed as to cooperate with a relatively movable one-piece dispensing closure cap so as to permit selective opening or closing of the dispensing holes or passages in the closure cap, and in which the closure cap is secured to the neck of the container by a novel snap-on construction.

It is another object of the invention to provide a dispensing container including stop elements or stop lugs carried by the cap member which serve the dual function of limiting the opening and closing movement of the cap member relative to the neck member of the container and also of functioning as locking beads which cooperate with the neck of the container to secure the closure member in position. i v

It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved combined container and closure assembly which minimizes any leakage of the contents of the container, particularly during shipment of the container, and which provides a substantially non-sifting leak-proof construction.

In achievement of these objectives, there is provided in accordance with an embodiment of this invention a dispensing container assembly including a container such as a bottle having a special neck finish provided with a plurality of normally vertical circumferentially spaced axial ribs or lugs projecting radially inwardly from the inner surface of the container neck. The closure cap has a plus rality of dispensing holes or passages in the top wall thereof, the holes being equal in number to the axial ribs or lugs on the inside of the container neck. The closure cap may be selectively rotated into a dispensing position in which the dispensing holes of the closure cap lie between adjacent axial ribs or lugs of the container neck, or into non-dispensing position in which the dispensing holes of the closure cap lie in superposed frictionally engaged relation to the top surface of the respective axial ribs or lugs of the container neck. In accordance with an important feature of the construction, a plurality of stop lug members depend downwardly from the under surface of the closure cap, the respective stop lugs being positioned in the spaces between adjacent axial ribs of the container neck, the stop lugs serving to limit the 3,389,840 Patented June 25, 1968 p CC movement of the cap'relative to the container neck in opening and closing directions of movement. An important feature of the construction is the fact that the stop lugs which depend downwardly fromthe under surface of the closure cap are formed to provide locking beads along the outer circumferential surface of the stop lugs, which locking beads cooperate with a locking ring:or bead along the inner. circumference of the neck finish to secure the closure to the container by means of a snap action.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken; in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view partially broken away, of a container and closure assembly in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in vertical section taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3. is a fragmentary enlarged view in vertical section showing the engagement of the closure cap with the container neck.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a container generally indicated at 10 such as a bottle, having a main body portion 11 with a hollow interior adapted to be filled with powder or liquid contents. Main body pprtion 11 of the container terminates in an open upper end defined by an integral upstanding hollow neck generally indicated at 12 which communicates with the hollow interior of the main body portion 11 of the container. A

closure cap generally indicated at 14 is adapted to be positioned around and in relatively rotatable relation to neck 12. The container 10 and the closure cap 14 may be formed of a suitable plastic material or materials or of other suitable material or materials.

The material of either the container 10'or of the closure cap 14 or of both should have some flexibility to facilitate the snap-on sealing engagement between the closure cap and the container neck, as will be hereinafter described. If the container and closure are made of plastic material, the container may be made, for example, of a medium impact polystyrene, while the closure cap may be made of more flexible material such as polypropylene. These materials are merely cited as examples of suitable materials which might be used.

The neck 12 of the container is providedwith a plurality of integral, radially inwardly extending normally vertical lugs or ribs 16 which extend in the axial direction of the container in equally circumferentially spaced relation to each other along the inner surface of the container neck. In the illustrated embodiment, six of the ribs 16 are provided, with a spacing apart from each other of 60 degrees between centers. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the ribs 16 is of substantially semi-circular shape in transverse or horizontal cross section, as best seen in the view of FIG. 1. Each rib 16 extends for substantially the entire height of the neck 12 of the container and terminates at its upper end in a flat upper end surface 18. Although not illustrated in the drawing, if desired a small integral annular sealing beadmay extend upwardly from the upper surface of each lug 16 at the same radial distance from the vertical center line of the container assembly as the dispensing holes in the closure cap to be described to provide a frictional sealing engagecludes- -a-top wall lz *anda downwardty depending" wall or skirt 24.

Top wall 22 of closure cap 14 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced dispensing holes-26, the

number of dispensing holes'26" being equal in number to" the number of "ribs 16 on the inner surface ofthec'ori tainerlneckyvf x w.

*In accordance with an important-feature ofthe 6on structio'ri, closure c-ap1'4 isprovided-with a plnrality of stop'lugsieach generally indicated at-28 which extend downwardly from "the 'nndensurface of the top wall '22 of the closure c 'apln theillustrate'd embodiment. a stop lug 28 is provided for the space between each pair of of adjacent lugs on'the-container neck. Th'e'lugs 28 are so located that when the closure cap 14 ismoved-i'n an openin-gdirection; the leading edge in the'direction of opening movementof each-stop lug'will abut against a contiguous rib 16 of the container neck "at a position in "warclly' dependingstop lugs 28" into abutting engagement with the axial ribs 16. The; positions of the dispensing holes 26 of the closure capand of the downwardly depending lugs 28 on the closure cap are so related to each other that wherncap 1'4 has;beenotated'a sufiicient distance to move the stop lugs 28 i'n'to.=stopped engagement withtheadjacerit neck ribs 16 uponmovenient of-the cap in aclosingdirectionl'the dispehSirig'holes-Will be in overlying relation to th'e 't'op surfaceslil'of vertical ribs 16.

When it is desired'to move the closure 'cap to dispensing position, the cap is'rotated in an-opening direction. The maximum-1opening-.rnovement is limitegl by 11h? engagement of the leading edges of the downwardly depending stop "logs in the opening'rl'irectioh"with the contiguous surfaces or the ribs 16; in which position thedispensing" holes2 6-"are located"in overlying relation to the "spaces betweenadjacnt ribs' '16 and are thus 'free to dispense which the dispensing'holes 26"are in over-lying relation to the spaces'between the adjacent ribs 16 and are thus freeto dispense; and in the limiting position in the closing direction-of movement of the cap, the leading edge in the closing direction of movement of each stop lug 28 will abut againsta contiguous rib 16 of the container neck so thatin the limiting position in theclosing'direct'ion each-dispensing hole 26 will-be located in overlying re'I'ation to the flat'upper end surface 18 of one of the ribs 16.

A further important function of the stop lugs"28 is that they are so contoured as to cooperate with the locking ring sections 20 on the'inner surface of the container neck to provide asnap action'which holds the closure cap in closed position. Thus, as best seen in theviews of FIGS. land 3, each stop lug 28 is providedonits radially With" the closure cap-in open or dispensing position, the

product'ma'y be dispensed by inverting the container and shakinggmu. 1 i

It can be seen from the foregoing that there is provided in accordance with this inventionacontainer and closure assembly having a new and novel relation between the closure'cap"and-'thecontainer neck, in accordance with which the stop lngs carriedby the containercap not only serve to limit the movement of the closure cap in opening and "closing directions, but further are so contoured as to cooperate with locking b'ead or ring sections 20 provided on the inner surface of the container neck to provide a snap on connection of the closure cap to the container neck;

- 5 While there 'has been shown and described a particular outer surface with sloping surface contours which define a bead 30. The bead 30 is so dimensioned as to have an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the internal circumferential beads 20' of the container neck; thus requiring that the bead30 defined by the contour of each stop lug 28 besnapped past the corresponding head section 20' of the container when'the closure cap is beingplaced in position on the container neck. y 'In' using the dispensing container" and closure as sembly hereinbefore described, after the "container-'1 1t) has been filled with the desired liquid or powder eon. tents, closure cap 14 is pushed downwardly onto neck' 12 of the container,'with the beads 30f'ormed on the stop lug's28 snapping downwardly past the circumferential bead sections 20 formed onthe'inner surface of the container neck. The parts are so dimensioned that"when'the closure cap has been snapped 'into engagement with the container neck as just described, the under surfaceof the top wall 22 of the closure capj'isfdrawndown under tension'into engagement with the upper surface of the container so that when'the closure cap is'in closed posi tion the regions around the dispensing holes 26 of the closure cap bear against the 'upper'surfaces '18 of the ribs 16 with sufiicient frictional 'engage'menfto provide an effective sealing action for'holes 26 which prevents leak age of the contents of the container therefrom.

f'Closure cap 14 is'm'oved tonon-dispensing' position by rotating the cap in a closingdirection to the position shown in FIGS; Land Zin which the dispensing passages 26 of the closure cap are in overlying relation tofthe embodiment of the invention, it'will be obvious to those skilled i'njthe art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from'the invention and, therefore, it is aimedt'ocover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. I g

What we claim aso'ur invention is: F1. A container and closure assembly comprising a container including an open uppe'r'end', a closure cap positioned on said container for movement relative to said open upper end, said open upper end having at least two peripherally spaced lugs' extendinggradially inwardly from the inner surface thereof, said closure cap having at least one dispensing outlet positioned therein, said closure cap being' selectively movable in one direction to cause safiddispensing outlet to overlie' one of said lugs to prevent dispensing of the contents of thecontainer or in 'the opposite direction to cause said dispensing outlet to lie 7 between adjacent lugs whereby to permit dispensing of the contents of the container, a stop member carried by said closure cap and'selectively engageable with'one or the other of said peripherally spaced lugs to limit the movement ofsaid closure cap in opening and closing direction's of movement, first bead means carried by said stop member formed 'on the radially outer surface of said'stop member, second bead means carried by said container adjacent saidopen upper end thereof formed on theinner periphery of said open upper end, said first bead meansbeing movable with'a snap movement past said second bead means when said closure cap is positioned on saidcontainerwhereby tohold said closure cap in snapped -on eiigagement with said container.

wA flcontainerand closure assembly as defined in clainrl in which s'aidjclosure cap is rotatably movable relative to said container.

vertical ribs'ofv the container neclt. The movement of 3. A container and closure. assembly as defined in claim 1 comprising a containerm'e'mber and a closure member inwhich atlast one of said members is formed of flexible material.

' 4. container and closure assembly comprisinga container including an, open upper end, a closure cap positioned on said container for movement relative to 53 said open upper end, said open upper end having a plurality of peripherally spaced lugs extending radially inwardly from the inner surface of said open upper end, said closure cap having at least one dispensing outlet positioned therein, said closure cap being selectively movable in one direction to cause said dispensing outlet to overlie one of said lugs to prevent dispensing of the contents of the container or in the opposite direction to cause said dispensing outlet to lie between adjacent lugs whereby to permit dispensing of the contents of the container, a plurality of stop members carried by the under surface of said closure cap, each stop member lying between an adjacent pair of peripherally spaced lugs and selectively engageable with one or the other of said peripherally spaced lugs to limit the movement of said closure cap in opening and closing directions of movement, first bead means formed on the radially outer surface of said stop members, second bead means formed on the inner periphery of and adjacent said open upper end of said container, said first bead means being movable with a snap movement past said second bead means when said closure cap is positioned on said container wherebyvto hold said closure cap in snapped-on engagement with said container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,985,343 5/1961 Nask 222555 X 3,186,608 6/1965 Grimsley 222565 X 3,255,937 6/1966 Jarrett 222-548 X 3,297,214 1/1967 Allen 222548 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

F. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner. 

